Haptic & Hue – "The Mysteries of the Marshes: The Ancient Textile Secrets of Europe's Bog Bodies"

Host: Jo Andrews | Guests: Ulla Mannering, Ida Demant | Date: September 4, 2025

Overview

This episode of Haptic & Hue delves deep into the textile treasures revealed by Europe’s bog bodies—exceptionally preserved remains dating back thousands of years, found in marshes across Northern Europe. Focusing on the stories of Huldremose Woman and Egtved Girl, host Jo Andrews explores how what we wear tells forgotten stories—from daily lives and skilled craftsmanship to lost rituals and the shifting values of ancient communities. Alongside textile archaeologist Ulla Mannering and experimental weaver Ida Demant, Andrews pieces together how these clothes illuminate the richness and complexities of Bronze and Iron Age societies, and what their work means for us today.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Discovery of Huldremose Woman

• The Find: In 1879, peat diggers in Huldremose, Denmark, discovered a remarkably well-preserved female body wrapped in skin garments (00:20–03:04).
  • Quote: “They realized that, oh, wow, there’s a body lying here... She’s very well wrapped into the skin garments.” — Ulla Mannering (00:54)
• Initial Reactions & Mishaps: Mistaken for a recent murder, local authorities involved the National Museum—meanwhile, the doctor's wife washed all the ancient clothes (04:19).
  • Quote: “When he gets home, his wife washes all the clothing... what she washed... was some of the best preserved Iron Age clothing we have.” — Jo Andrews (04:45)
• Preservation & Loss: Though the clothing was displayed, the body was neglected and lost in storage for decades before being reunited with her garments in 2008 (06:28).

2. Seeing Ourselves in the Ancient Past

• Immediate Connections: Huldremose Woman’s clothing appears strikingly modern, creating a palpable link across millennia (07:26).
  • Quote: “A lot of people come into this room, they look at it and say, this can't be 2000 years old, but it is... you can see the textiles, you can see that they have colors and patterns, and you can almost feel the nice texture.” — Ulla Mannering (07:26)
• The Tactility of the Past: Textiles carry a direct, tactile message about prehistoric life, sparking curiosity and empathy in museum visitors.

3. The Marsh as a Liminal and Practical Space

• Everyday Resource and Spiritual Gateway: The bogs were mysterious, foggy, and seen as close to ancestors and gods, but also vital for resources like peat, water, and refrigeration (10:08).
  • Quote: “It could be that this is an area which is a place where they thought they had an easier access to their ancestors and to the gods. But it's just next to their fields.” — Ulla Mannering (10:08)
• Rare Burial Practice: While bog bodies like Huldremose Woman were interred whole and clothed, most Iron Age people were cremated—pointing to unusual or significant circumstances (12:13).

4. Incisive Look at Iron Age Clothing

• Skilled Construction and Color: Huldremose Woman’s attire included lambskin capes, a plaid wool skirt, and a red-yellow-blue dyed scarf—highly resource-intensive to create (13:16–14:56).
• Upcycling and Lifespan: Dyes were refreshed throughout the garment’s life, evidence of clothing being “upcycled” or recolored as part of its long use (15:16).
  • Quote: “Rather than doing what we do, which is go out and buy a new outfit, these people use different dye pots... to give a new look to their old garments.” — Jo Andrews (14:56)

5. Social Value and Misunderstood Wealth

• Textile Wealth: The absence of metal grave goods led some to believe bog people were poor, but their sophisticated clothing speaks of immense wealth and status in their society (16:35).
  • Quote: “There were no textile shops in the Iron Age. You were producing all your raw materials on your farm.” — Ulla Mannering (16:35)
• Expressions of Care and Love: Being buried fully clothed in such valuable garments was a significant sacrifice, possibly reflecting the woman’s cherished role in her community (18:27).
  • Quote: “They could have stripped her of all the clothing, but they didn’t... it must have been a really big sacrifice for the living.” — Ulla Mannering (18:27)

6. Egtved Girl and Deep Roots of Textile Tradition

• The Egtved Girl Find: Unearthed in 1921, she wore a strikingly short corded skirt and wool blouse—disrupting contemporary notions about modesty and femininity (21:04).
  • Quote: “It’s this short skirt. It’s only 38 centimeters long... in 1921, that would be out of the question.” — Ulla Mannering (21:04)
• Corded Skirts Worldwide and Through Time: These garments echo across cultures and eras, appearing in ancient figurative art like the Venus figurines (25:06).
  • Quote: “Corded skirt is the most ancient clothing item we have from mankind... there are corded skirts in many cultures all over the world.” — Ulla Mannering (24:30)

7. Experimental Archaeology: Reconstructing Ancient Textiles

• Reconstruction Methods: Ida Demant reveals the complexity of recreating corded skirts, drawing on weaving and rope-making techniques (27:52).
  • Quote: “The skirt is a band weaving where you extend the weft threads out as long loops to one side... these loops you twist and they become the cords.” — Ida Demant (27:52)
• Community & Craft: Spinning yarn was communal, but weaving/twisting the skirt was likely a solo effort (28:39).

8. Human Touch: Mistakes, Repairs, and Use

• Traces of Individual Lives: Mending and alterations in the textiles provide a strong sense of the person behind the object (31:55).
  • Quote: “Where I feel the sense of the person. That’s actually where they made their mistakes... or some clever solution... That’s where I feel the connection.” — Ida Demant (31:55)
• Long Use & Adaptation: Repairs to the skirt, especially around the waist ties, show garments were used and valued over an extended period, not just made for burial (32:25).

9. Reflections: Value, Craft, and Reconnecting with the Past

• Careful Resource Use: The work and knowledge embedded in every textile item highlight a kind of wealth and attention largely lost in today’s disposable fashion world (33:41–35:08).
  • Quote: “Who knew how to herd the sheep, pluck the wool, to sort it... I think that teaches us in a way that we have to be much more careful and aware of the value of things.” — Ulla Mannering (33:41)
• Pleasure in Craft: Understanding ancient textiles brings joy and a personal connection for today’s researchers (35:16).
  • Quote: “The mere joy for me to, as a textile researcher, just to look at these textiles and see how they were constantly striving to improve... To me, that’s astonishing.” — Ulla Mannering (35:16)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Empathy Across Time:
  “To see a prehistoric person and to recognize that they are just like us... it brings up a lot of new questions.” — Ulla Mannering (07:26)

• On Textile Wealth:
  “These people were very, very rich because they had access to all the most important resources: clothing.” — Ulla Mannering (16:35)

• On Repair as Human Connection:
  “That’s where I feel the person behind it: where they made their mistakes, where you can see they’ve been thinking.” — Ida Demant (31:55)

• On Timeless Styles:
  “Corded skirt is the most ancient clothing item we have from mankind… it goes back to one of the earliest ideas probably of how to cover your body.” — Ulla Mannering (24:30)

• On Modern Implications:
  “We have a very superficial attitude towards our clothing... we never think about where material is coming from.” — Ulla Mannering (33:41)

Timestamps of Key Segments

• Discovery of Huldremose Woman: 00:20–06:28
• Discussion of Clothing & Preservation: 07:26–09:34
• The Role of Marshes in Iron Age Life: 10:08–12:57
• Textile Technology and Dyeing: 13:16–15:46
• Textile Wealth and Burial Rituals: 16:35–18:27
• The Egtved Girl and Prehistoric Styles: 19:31–25:57
• Reconstructing Corded Skirts: 26:13–29:00
• Interpreting Mistakes & Repairs: 31:55–33:18
• Big-Picture Reflections on Craft & Legacy: 33:41–35:16

Tone & Takeaway

Jo Andrews and her guests adopt a tone of curiosity, respect, and hands-on enthusiasm. The discussion is imbued with empathy for ancient people, awe for their skill, and gentle prodding at modern preconceptions about wealth, fashion, and value. Ultimately, the episode urges listeners to look past the “big” histories and see our shared humanity in the everyday act of making and wearing clothes—and to cherish the artistry buried, sometimes literally, in what we wear.